3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
[MIS22-06] Is it possible to create a new theory of Fūdo by integrating history and geoscience? - From an architectural and urban perspective -
★Invited Papers
Keywords:Clamate and Culture, Architecture, Cyclone
There are two main ways to integrate history and geoscience. The first is to simulate changes in the natural environment from a long-term perspective on a global scale based on data obtained from historical documents. The other is to understand historical events and cultural phenomena based on global models of the natural environment. In this presentation, I would like to discuss my research idea of using the latter method for the comparative study of architectural and urban forms.
The Japanese philosopher Watsuji Tetsuro, in his 1935 book "Fūdo" (Climate), argues that climate is inextricably linked to human cultural activities and divides the Eurasian continent into three cultural spheres: monsoon, desert, and pasture. Because of the simple association between the environment and the way of life and thinking, his theory has been met with criticism. However, the method to understand human cultural history from the ecological perspective is reasonable. Vernacular architecture, for example, has been created by adapting to the environmental conditions and using local materials. The idea of ecological and cultural sphere brings a distinct perspective into comparative studies on architectural history based on the political and economic regional units such as Europe, East Asia, and so on. In addition to the traditional architecture, even the form of contemporary megacities has a strong relationship with the local natural environment. For example, cities in monsoon Asia, which have a climate suitable for rice cultivation, tend to expand their urban areas to the suburbs and have a high degree of mixed land use. Therefore, integration the Fūdo theory and geoscience such as a global climate model is significant to clarify the global history of architecture and cities. Scientific knowledge of the commonalities and differences in the natural environment among regions and their changes in time series will provide a new basis for thinking about ecological and cultural spheres. Could the refinement of modeling the natural environment on a global scale lead to a new theory of Fūdo?
In this presentation, I would like to raise the above question based on my research on the regional characteristics of traditional houses in the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian Peninsula belongs to the arid region. The southern part of the peninsula, however, is slightly wetter than the rest of the region and is characterized by periodic cyclone strikes. Through the relationship between the climatic differences and the architectural forms and material properties of north and south region, I will examine how climate data can be used for inter-regional comparison of architecture. However, this presentation is not a research based on the integration of climate models and regional characteristics of architecture but raises the question of what kind of integration might be possible.
The Japanese philosopher Watsuji Tetsuro, in his 1935 book "Fūdo" (Climate), argues that climate is inextricably linked to human cultural activities and divides the Eurasian continent into three cultural spheres: monsoon, desert, and pasture. Because of the simple association between the environment and the way of life and thinking, his theory has been met with criticism. However, the method to understand human cultural history from the ecological perspective is reasonable. Vernacular architecture, for example, has been created by adapting to the environmental conditions and using local materials. The idea of ecological and cultural sphere brings a distinct perspective into comparative studies on architectural history based on the political and economic regional units such as Europe, East Asia, and so on. In addition to the traditional architecture, even the form of contemporary megacities has a strong relationship with the local natural environment. For example, cities in monsoon Asia, which have a climate suitable for rice cultivation, tend to expand their urban areas to the suburbs and have a high degree of mixed land use. Therefore, integration the Fūdo theory and geoscience such as a global climate model is significant to clarify the global history of architecture and cities. Scientific knowledge of the commonalities and differences in the natural environment among regions and their changes in time series will provide a new basis for thinking about ecological and cultural spheres. Could the refinement of modeling the natural environment on a global scale lead to a new theory of Fūdo?
In this presentation, I would like to raise the above question based on my research on the regional characteristics of traditional houses in the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian Peninsula belongs to the arid region. The southern part of the peninsula, however, is slightly wetter than the rest of the region and is characterized by periodic cyclone strikes. Through the relationship between the climatic differences and the architectural forms and material properties of north and south region, I will examine how climate data can be used for inter-regional comparison of architecture. However, this presentation is not a research based on the integration of climate models and regional characteristics of architecture but raises the question of what kind of integration might be possible.